This is the most outspoken statement yet from a representative of the Biden administration: Israel may fall short of its goal of destroying Hamas. US President Joe Biden’s administration doubts that Israel’s current strategy against Hamas militants will lead to “total victory,” said Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. This is reported by Politico.
“Sometimes, when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk mostly about the idea of some kind of total victory on the battlefield. I don’t think we believe that’s likely or possible,” M. Campbell said.
This is the most outspoken statement from a representative of the Biden administration that Israel may not be able to achieve total victory over Hamas, the goal of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that Hamas must be defeated and that Israel would fight until this “absolute victory.”
Many countries want to see “a political solution in which Palestinian rights are more respected,” Campbell added.
“I don’t think it’s ever been more difficult than it is now, but I still believe the interest is there,” he added.
Separately, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that while the US would continue to advise Israel, it was a sovereign country that would make its own decisions.
“Their leadership chooses how to wage this war. They will make those decisions,” Jake Sullivan emphasized.
Israel began an active fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the militants attacked last October, vowing to destroy the group. The United States is currently the largest arms supplier to Israel.
At the same time, criticism has intensified due to the deaths of civilians during the military campaign in the enclave. Washington, in particular, has urged Israel for several months not to launch a ground operation in Rafah due to the risk of high civilian casualties. States have even suspended the supply of some types of weapons. Israel maintains that blocking US arms shipments will not impede its ground operations.
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